Do you ever wonder what others might be listening to as they sit at their laptops designing or coding with confidence?

This is really about the most effective audio that will elevate your work habits and not distract you from accomplishing your goals.

There is a ton of research out there suggesting what works and what doesn’t work. Personally, I’ve found there to be a direct link to how you learned to study when you were a student and your tolerance for audio as an adult.

Researching some background for this post, I found a really engaging study from Teresa Lesiuk at the University Of Windsor that found IT specialists who listened to music at work were able to complete tasks faster than those who did not listen to music.(Ummmm, hello! We would ALL be IT specialists!)

I polled the ladies of the Web Designer Strategy Academy asking them what they listen to as they work and I dug into my own personal preferences.

Here are some suggestions for you to check out:

1. Brain FM

Deborah really likes to listen to Brain FM. Their philosophy is that if you appropriately stimulate your brain, you’ll unlock music’s potential to influence your cognitive state. She uses focus.

2. Coffitivity

Janet is a lover of the ambient noise website Coffitivity. They say,
“According to a peer-reviewed study out of the University of Chicago, “A moderate level of ambient noise is conducive to creative cognition.” In a nutshell, this means being a tiny bit distracted helps you be more creative. This is why those AHA moments happen when we’re brushing our teeth, taking a shower, or mowing the lawn! If we’re not focused too much at a task at hand, we come up with awesome stuff. In the coffee shop, the chatter and clatter actually distracts us a tiny bit and allows our creative juices to start flowing. It sounds crazy, but it works!”

3. Koffee

Stacey (one of our Aussie’s who is living in the UK!) really likes Koffee where they stream chill out web radio from an Australia Station website.

4. A Soft Murmur

Stefani recently found this great site to listen to ambient sounds when she’s working: (they also have a great app!) It’s really easy to use and customize your own blend of ambient audio.

5. Spotify, Deep Focus

6. Relaxing Sounds

I’m also a BIG lover of this app I’ve had on my phone for years — Relaxing Sounds of Nature. I listen to it at night, when I’m working, on an airplane, and just about anywhere I would like to bring some calm energy.

I’m really curious what your go-to resources are when you’re looking for something to listen to as you work! Will you share your ideas in the comments with us?